What if They Never Come Back
by adventuresinstorybrooke
Summary: Set after end of 2x01. Charming "falls asleep riddled with worry and fighting his fears in his dreams, but doesn't consider that his grandson might be doing the same." Henry has a bad dream and needs someone to be there for him. One-shot. Charming family fluff and feels.


**This is my way of dealing with Henry, Emma, and Charming feels. Enjoy.**

_"I will find them."_

Charming's words echoed through Henry's ears as he trudged up the metal staircase and into Emma's bedroom. He was beyond exhausted and, despite the fact that he wanted to pour through his storybook one last time in search of a way to get his family back, he fell onto the down comforter with a dramatic expulsion of breath and close his eyes.

Shuffling off his jeans and pulling his plaid button-up shirt over his head, he tossed them across the room. With a single sweep he rearranged his disheveled brown hair and crawled his was up to the headboard. Not willing to brave the cool air any longer, he slipped his entire form under the sheets and buried his face in a pillow.

It smelled like her. Emma. The whole bed was warm and comforting, and it somehow gave him hope that she really was okay. He knew she would never leave him permanently. She would always come back. She was his mom.

_"I love you Henry."_

If he squeezed his eyes tighter he could imagine her with him. Lying on the other side of the bed, her hair spiraling out in messy curls that would lay strewn across her pillow. Her shining greens eyes would look back at him, wrinkled in the corners from an infectious smile. If he wanted he'd be able to hug her or curl up next to her. But even with his imagination, he still felt incredibly alone in the vacant queen bed.

He silently vowed that he would find her tomorrow. He'd never let himself go another day without her. He'd…he….

He was finally asleep.

_She was falling, screaming; his hands reached out for her. Desperately clawing at nothing but the dark expanses of the hole. She didn't move any farther away but he could get any closer. Tears fell onto his outstretched palms. "No! Emma please! Let me save you! Grab my hand!"_

_He cried out with every inch of his being. But she only continued screaming as she fell without motion, the darkness swarming her, swallowing her up. And then she was gone. "Mom NOO!"_

* * *

Charming heard the footsteps pattering down the stairs long before his eyes could adjust enough to see them. A small figure appeared behind the sheer draperies that served as a door to the room and stood still for what seemed like minutes.

"Henry?" he called out softly. "Come on in, it's okay."

Pulling himself up he sat propped against the headboard and watched the young boy make his way hesitantly into the bedroom and walk to his side of the bed. Light filtered in through the window and drew bright sparkles from Henry's glassy eyes. His pupils were large but within their blackness was nothing but worry and pain.

"What's wrong?" He could read all sorts of emotion on the kid's face. But mostly just that overwhelming sadness.

Henry looked down and played with the bottom of his shirt; bunching and un-bunching, rolling it in on itself, and twisting it around his fingertip until Charming spoke again.

"Henry. What's—"

The sentence was interrupted by a small sniff. He hadn't wanted to appear helpless; he wanted to be a brave and strong prince just like the man before him. He wanted to be valiant and someone everyone could see as their rock. The one who had always lead them to the right path or the answers to their problems. And he had. He brought Emma to Storybrooke and made her break the curse. But now he couldn't help but blame himself for what had happened. If the curse hadn't been broken so soon maybe that monster wouldn't have come and the portal wouldn't have sucked them through. And maybe they wouldn't be possibly dead or lost forever.

"Do you really think they're coming back?" His voice was small, but he spoke every word with intensity.

Charming immediately felt his heart break. He had fallen asleep riddled with worry and fighting the fears in his dreams, but hadn't considered that his grandson might be doing the same.

"Of course," he reassured him. "I told you that I have faith, and I know that's not a lot to go on, but it's all we've got."

He paused a moment before an idea came to him. "And do you know what else we have?"

Henry shrugged, still looking at the floor.

"Each other."

Slowly the boy's head raised up and a hint of a smile played on his face. They did have each other. They were family. Sometimes they both forgot that. Henry, more than he would have expected. For almost a year now he had known that David was Emma's father, and his grandfather, but once everyone knew the truth it had almost become a minor fact, often set aside.

He had a family now. Grandparents, his mom, and they all loved him. He just had to make sure they were whole again.

"Can…" he mumbled hesitantly. "Can I, maybe, sleep in here? Just for tonight? I had a bad dream, and I…I just…"

Charming smiled kindly. "Sure, kid. Hop in."

Faster than light Henry scampered across his grandfather's legs and wiggled into the bed. Without another word he nestled down and quickly fell asleep.

The David in Charming felt compelled to move out onto the couch once the boy was asleep, but the overpowering prince and father in him made him stay. He needed to protect this kid. His grandson. His _daughter's _son. He had failed already at protecting his wife, and then his daughter, whom he'd only known for mere hours. But he swore he wouldn't lose her son. _I'll keep him safe Emma, I promise. _

He wouldn't be that weak man anymore. He wouldn't hurt the people he loved or let them down. He would stay let Henry sleep in the bed for eternity if it mean that the little boy felt safe. He made a silent vow as he drifted into calmer dreams. _I will always protect you._

And when, an hour later, Charming stirred from his sleep to find the young boy nestled against his side and breathing evenly, he only smiled and gently stroked the head that peeked up from under the sheets; the head that was covered in light brown hair that almost exactly matched his own.

**Reviews are appreciated. And for anyone interested I have a couple Snow/Emma and Emma/Graham two-shots (or more) up my sleeve that I'll post in the coming days. Thanks for reading.**


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